I wanted to start off by saying thank you very much for your comments on Monday’s post! I appreciate all of the input (and love that you all agreed that people are ignorant and assholes)!!

Next, I want to complain. I am so tired today. I had a 3+ hour commute home last night due to train problems in the city and I was up late watching the World Series (I was strangely invested in Boston winning) and then woke up around 5 to come to NYC for an early Refine Method class (which I loved, but kicked my ass). I just need to get through the workday and then I have an awesome weekend lined up!

*It’s marathon weekend. The weather is fantastic (iced coffees and no jacket). I walked through the park on my way to work this morning and there is definitely magic in the air! There are already a lot of runners out and about that are here for the race. It is great to see the runners don their nations’ names and colors proudly! I have to admit I am more than a little envious of the marathon runners! This is the second year in a row I was not able to run the NYC Marathon. However, I am pumped to cheer (it really is like a holiday) and know I will get to the start (and finish) line some day!

I am staying in a hotel in the city all weekend with Fizz’s mom and we have a lot of fun things planned! We are running the Dash to the Finish 5k, walking around the marathon expo, going to a Refine Method class, making marathon cheer signs and most importantly, cheering for the marathon!!! We will be with a group of friends, cheering for friends and strangers alike, My signs (and pants) will most definitely be neon and you can find us around 110th and 1st ave on the left side of the street!

*We find out if the baby is a boy or a girl tomorrow!!!! I can’t even contain my excitement about this. I could not imagine going through my entire pregnancy not knowing. I will share the news with everyone after I tell my friends & family for sure!

Are you running/cheering for the marathon? Let me know so I can cheer for you!

Do you think this lil baby bun is a girl or boy? I have no freaking clue.

Congrats to each runner who got into the marathon through the lottery today!

For those of you did not get an entry, this story may put a bit of fuel on the flame.

Through an invitation from NYRR, I attended the 2011 NYC Marathon opening day activities in Columbus Circle. I met the requirements for this invitation because I was a local resident (tri-state I believe) and I had entered through the lottery. The evening prior, I went to the NYRR office to receive my entry card (a big white card with a number). While I was there I filled out some paperwork a NYRR worker asked me “Why do you want to run the NYC Marathon” and “Is this your first marathon?”

The event was amazing. I had a front row spot. Celebrities, professional runners, Dance party and free swag all included.

Throughout the event, they were giving away bibs. There were 10 up for grabs. All of our names were in a bingo looking ball machine. After the 5th or so person won, the emcee fucked up. He pulled a card and re-read the same name of the previous winner. There were lots of stunned looks in the crowd and many “what the fucks?!” After a quick moment of confusion, almost everyone realized the winning names on the cards were PRE-SELECTED. People were pissed off, I was pissed off. It was no longer fun. They rang the bell for the lottery drawing and I left, knowing I would not be selected (and I wasn’t).

Each winner had a story. I’m guessing it was based on those 2 questions they asked at the NYRR HQ! My story (I didn’t have one) must not have been interesting enough for a TV broadcast. I now have zero faith that the actual lottery is actually random.

Note: Attendees were provided a complimentary admission to the Dash to the Finish that year. Probably because they knew they fucked up. Also, I streamed the 2012 opening day and it seems like it was a random drawing for the free bibs. They drew numbers as opposed to names.

I owe you some posts. I haven’t blogged in a little while. Lots of things happened since the last “NYCM Training Workout Recap” I posted. You know, like the marathon being canceled.

11/12/12 – 11/18/12 – Not much at all. It was a relatively low-key week and my post-Richmond Marathon relaxation time! I also spectated the shit out of the Philly Marathon!

Tuesday 11/13: Erin and I (and Erica, wooop!) went to a hurricane relief fitness fundraiser. It was hosted by Mahri of Body Conceptions and Brook Marrone of Brooke Marrone Fitness. It was a perfect collaboration of both instructors. It was a cardio and strength workout through dance and movement and a strength and core workout that incorporated many pilates moves . Both instructors were beyond helpful and the class was very challenging. I love trying new things and I also want to look like them so I need to practice my moves.

Wednesday 11/14: I ran 2 very slow miles at NYSC because my bus at Port Authority had about a 3 hour wait.

Thursday 11/15: Christy and I went to Refine Method and got our asses kicked. Great class as usual. Note to self (and everyone reading): DO NOT eating Mexican food before Refine. You will feel like shit.

Total Weekly Mileage: 2

Total Weekly Workout Time: 2 hours

11/19/12 – 11/25/12

Monday 11/19: Very early run on the West Side Highway with Fiona. I bundled up because I was nervous, and as usual, I was sweating within 5 seconds of running and was upset about the layers I had on. I will never learn my lesson. We chatted and ran and talked about work and marathons and dogs. It felt good to be out there! My legs were definitely still tired from the marathon!

Total: 7 mi, 1:01, 8:42 pace

Tuesday 11/20: Another early morning run! I metJess in Central Park and we struggled a bit to get into a rhythm during the loop around the park. Tired legs and wine will do that to you! It ended up being a great run (even though it did not feel like it)! Great company, great weather!

Total 5.4 miles, 48 min, 8:51 pace

Wednesday 11/21: Rest

Thursday 11/22: Morris Township Thanksgiving Day 5K – The weather was a perfectly chilly. Kara was running the race with her boyfriend and roommates and I also convinced my friend Stephanie to run with me (because she is REALLY fast) and I wanted to PR. I had no idea if I could.

Steph and I started out strong but a 90 degree wall around the halfway point basically stopped us in our tracks and our pace dropped drastically. I forced my body up the hill and picked up the pace and tried to keep breathing. I finished strong and someone threw up next to me. At least I felt better than that guy.

Official Results: 23:04

Place: 242/2284

Age Place 8/178

I didn’t have my Garmin because I (shockingly) had to sprint to the start line and forgot it so the splits from my phone are: (1) 7:28, (2) 7:43, (3) 6:57 (.1) same pace who knows

Friday 11/23: Refine Method with Dori. This was the first time I took the class with Brynn (the owner of the studio) as the instructor. Don’t get me wrong, all of the instructors are amazing but holy hell she kicked our asses. I was panting like a dog and was so tired. She held the back of my pants while I did push ups and made sure I didn’t wimp out on anything. She was like a hawk, but in a good way. We are there to work right? I’m still sore.

Meet Ashley

Welcome to Running Bun! I am Ashley, a working-mom who loves running and training for races, attempting yoga inversions, a strong cocktail, and a good dose of sarcasm. This blog is where I share a lot of random thoughts about the above with some parenting woes mixed in for good measure.